THE ADMINISTRATIVE-TERRITORIAL STRUCTURE, POPULATION, AND ECONOMY OF THE BATUMI OKRUG ACCORDING TO THE 1886 CAMERAL SURVEY

Abstract

Abstract. The study analyzes the socio-economic characteristics of the Batumi Okrug based on the 1886 cameral census, which represents an important administrative-statistical source for 19th-century Adjara and contains data on population, land use, and economic activities. The aim of the research is to reconstruct the socio-economic profile of the okrug through the analysis of archival materials. Source-based, comparative, and statistical methods are applied, with particular emphasis on demography and land use patterns. The findings show that the economy of the Batumi Okrug was based on agriculture, forestry, and seasonal livestock farming. The study examines the system of alpine pastures (yaylas) and the role of waqf lands, also reflecting the historical and geographical characteristics of the region. The research is significant for the reconstruction of the administrative-territorial and socio-economic structure of the Batumi Okrug through the analysis of archival documents.